infoTECH News

[February 08, 2013]

Social Media Grows Increasingly Important for Business Marketing... Even Legal Businesses

Chicago, IL, Feb 08, 2013 (PRWeb.com via COMTEX) --
As social media giants Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest, and Linked In play an increasingly integral role in society, most business owners are struggling with the question of not if they should integrate social media into their company's marketing strategy...but rather how to.

Last fall, social media giant and second most visited website in the US Facebook passed the point of having one billion people actively using the site each month. That means that one out of every 7 people on the planet is now connected to the site. Last month, professional network Linked In announced it had reached 200 million users.

Further, in just one year, between 2011 and 2012, social media use in the United States increased 3 percent, according to the Pew Research Center and the Global Attitudes project.

The numbers can't be ignored.

There is no denying that the influence of social media will increase and continue to significantly impact and shape our society, said Firefly Legal Marketing and Communications Director Stephanie Irvine.

"The decision to manage a presence on social media, for most businesses, is a necessary one. Get involved or get left behind," Irvine advised. "These networks are free resources providing a massive platform for businesses to gain exposure and branding, learn about their target audience, build customer relationships and drive new leads. It's an undeniable opportunity to promote your brand and to reach clients where they are."
Matt Massa, Vice President at Firefly Legal, explains the company's decision to capitalize on social media. "At Firefly, implementing social media into our marketing tactic was a natural fit. We are a company that is big on communication, and this was just another viable means to communicate with our clients and the general public. When we have news that the courts have changed a fee or there is an important newsbreak or update, we have another way to disseminate information."
But many in the legal industry have been resistant and leery of social media, according to Firefly who points out the decision to engage in social media is plagued by naysayers and those who question the control, liability, and confidentiality risks inherently apparent in social media use. It's questioned by those who say it's just not right for the industry.

The reservations of many in the legal industry, Firefly notes, are not without merit. After all, the internet has seen its share of gaffes. For example, The New York Times twitter face-off between author Jennifer Weiner and Times journalist Andrew Goldman made serious waves in social media news. The embarrassing exchange prompted the New York Times to reevaluate and reinforce their social media policy.

And of course there's the recent Applebee's social media meltdown.

So why should law firms and those in the legal industry reconsider What does it take to do social media right
Firefly points out that law firms should be engaged in social media because people are at the crux of the industry. If legal companies don't capitalize on the power of social networks, they will miss out on reaching billions of people. Although staff to monitor and maintain social sites is mandatory, the ROI would be worth it, Firefly estimates.

"Social media lets you in on what conversations people are having about your company. It's also an opportunity to respond to feedback and manage reputation," Massa of Firefly continued.

Another huge benefit of social media is increased visibility... and findability. Firefly advises that through maintaining an active blog and social media accounts, law firms can target specific keywords and give their firm or company a greater chance at showing up high in search engines like Google.

"When Firefly is doing something in the community, like our recent food drive, social media gives us an additional way of bringing the community in and involving our network in real time. We've always been a technologically advanced company and social media has become an integral part of it," Massa said. When done thoughtfully, social media is certainly worth the investment. At least that's the perspective that an increasing number of firms and legal services companies take.

For more information , check out the Firefly Legal blog, The Firefly Jar, here to learn more about our take on the process serving industry and updates on the legal world.

About Firefly Legal:
Headquartered in Mokena, Illinois, Firefly Legal is a national associate legal services company specializing in process serving, skip traces, court filing, document retrieval, and loss mitigation. Be sure to check out Fireflylegal.com for more information.